European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 29, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Job Page 6 Klaus Moews helping rebuild a fallen Wall says the fresh air and manual labor revive him after the tedium of his regular Job. There has t been this much activity at Tannenberg Castle since it was attacked and destroyed in 1399. Shovels and pick axes Chew the ground bit by bit uncovering centuries with every bite. Wheelbarrows Laden with rocks or wet Cement creep up and Down narrow paths. Children pass rocks from hand to hand and eventually to a Semi neat pile. The Roar of a Cement mixer offers a grinding backdrop to it Alt. Tannenberg asleep for nearly 600 years is showing signs of Awakening. A group of residents from nearby Beeheim and neighbouring villages along the Bergstrasser in Central West Germany has spent 17 years slowly putting Tannenberg Back together. This project started when a local Man stumbled upon the Castle in 1972 and proposed some Effort to resurrect it. A before 1972, you could see Only Flowers and Trees and Trees and Trees and Trees Quot says Brg Schill a Beeheim resident who joined the project in 1976. The vegetation its growth unimpeded for nearly 600 years was so thick that it was possible to climb to this Hilltop 1,100 feet above the town and not see the Castle remains. That is impossible now. The Hilltop has been cleared. Many of the Castle s Walls have been rebuilt to a height of 20 to 30 inches a Tower on the Peak is 18 feet High far Short of its 75-foot original height but better than the pile of rocks it once was. This May seem like Little Progress for 17 years of work but the work is done Only a few Days a year a one saturday a month from april to november. A we enjoy such a Day a says Schill who works for the Post office in Darmstadt. Many of the approximately 50 people a mostly men a who work on the project Are office workers anxious to use Muscles not often exercised. So with Only eight Days a year to spend on the project there is no plan to reconstruct the Castle As it was first built by Ulrich i around 1230. Quot we want Only so you can see the cellar and the Tower and the Wall Quot Schill says. A your plan is not to go higher with the  the idea is simply to give visitors an idea of what Tannenberg Castle was like during its prime not entirely rebuild it. An important figure in this project is Klaus Herfert a professional builder from nearby Bentheim. He has draw architectural plans of the Castle and oversees the reconstruction. Walls Are rebuilt Only after he has measured and defined its dimensions. The Castle takes its name from the Mountain on which it sits which Means a fir  it was built in an Oval shape 100 feet wide and 160 feet Long and surrounded by a dry Moat. It had several living quarters and a Chapel As Well As a Cistern capable of holding several Hundred cubic feet of water. Lavish decorations and furniture along with stained Glass windows highlighted the Castle which was heated by Large ovens made of a special tile. In the latter half of the 14th Century the knights from Tannenberg began robbing merchants travelling through this Pari of the Rhine River Valley. Soldiers from several cities in the area including Mainz Trier Worms and Frankfurt joined forces to destroy the Castle and end the threat once and for All. A heavy piece of artillery capable of hurling 400-Pound rocks was brought to the Mountain from Frankfurt along with smaller cannons from Frankfurt and other cities. Twenty horses hauled the cannons up the Mountain and 32 others carried the Rock ammunition for the siege that began on july 23, 1399. The cannons surrounded the Castle. The defenders hurled rocks by hand and fired Lead balls from rifles made of Bronze which were better weapons than the crossbows used by the attackers. But the cannons soon blasted a Hole in the Castle Walls and the men inside surrendered. Eight of the 65 defenders had been killed in the siege. The Castle was set afire and powder in the Tower exploded and ripped it apart. For Many years the Castle was used As a Quarry. Many rocks were removed and used to build Homes in Beeheim. In 1849, excavations were begun under the Rule of hessian grand Duke Ludwig i. A handgun was found in the Cistern. This so called a it Annen Buechsen a or Quot Tanne Rifle Quot a is the oldest handgun found in Germany and is on display at the a Furnberg National germanic museum. The current renovators have found Many items As they dig among them Metal arrowheads from the crossbow arrows pottery and a breastplate w Orn by a horse. Many of these items Are on display in a museum at the old Beeheim City Hall. The work done by the local people is not easy. But Schill says they do it for a Good reason. Jorg Schill feels resurrecting the ruin helps establish a link with his Hometown s past. A it s our Hometown a Beeheim a he says. A we All came to Beeheim in recent years. We built our Homes  rescuing Tannenberg Castle from the grave is a Way of showing Pride and giving something Back to that Hometown he says. Jorg Schill welcomes any americans interested in helping renovate a 700-year-old Castle. Call him at 06257-81460. J Ron Jenson and Jim Der Helm a stars and stripes staff members. A Karl Horst left and sons Karlheinz upper right and Jans work on a Wall the Story by Ron Jensen photos by Jim Derheim a Model of the Castle Sho a what it looked like prior to the attack in 1399. The Model along with artefacts front the period is in the old Beeheim Rathaus. Klaus Herfert whose architectural drawings Are the volunteers guidelines supervises the reconstruction. C sunday july 29. 1990 sunday Page 7